Setting gear for an alarm watch



Nov. 8, 1960 K. TRICK 2,958,996

SETTING GEAR FOR AN ALARM WATCH Filed Sept. 12, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|

Nov. 8, 1960 K. TRICK 2,958,996

SETTING GEAR FOR AN ALARM WATCH Filed Sept. 12, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HI I United States Patent @fitice 2,958,996 Patented Nov. 8, 1960 SETTING GEAR FOR AN ALARM WATCH Kuno Trick, Toesstrasse 41, Schramberg, Black Forest, Germany Filed Sept. 12, 1956, Ser. No. 609,492

Claims priority, application Germany Apr. 14, 1951 2 Claims. (Cl. 5857.5)

The present invention relates generally to alarm wrist watches, and more particularly is directed to improvements in the mechanism provided for setting the alarm in such Watches, this application being a continuation-inpart of my prior, copending application for United States Letters Patent, identified as Serial No. 281,594, filed April 10, 1952, and now abandoned.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified alarm setting mechanism for alarm wrist watches employing a rotatable, manually actuable crown for setting the alarm mechanism which is separate from, and in addition to, the usual rotatable and axially movable crown provided for both winding the main spring of the watch and setting the time indicating hands thereof.

A specific object is to provide an alarm setting mechanism which is arranged and constructed so that the crown thereof may be rotated in opposed directions, that is, either forward or backward, without damage to the associated wrist watch structure, while the time indicating hands of the watch may also be set in either the forward or backward directions without encountering any destructive or damaging resistance from the alarm setting mechanism.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, an alarm wrist watch is provided with an hour wheel associated with the time indicating hands, an arrangement for setting the time indicating hands by effecting either forward or backward rotation of the hour wheel, an alarm dial Wheel associated with the alarm setting hand and having a series of notches therein engageable by projections on the hour wheel when the time indicating hands occupy positions corresponding to the setting of the alarm setting hand to then permit relative axial movement of the alarm dial wheel and hour wheel for causing operation of an associated alarm, the projections and notches being formed so that the hour wheel and alarm dial wheel and the associated time indicating hands and alarm setting hand are free to be set, without causing corresponding movement of each other, only in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively, and mechanism for setting the alarm setting hand including an alarm setting crown rotatable either forward or backward, a gear train driven by rotation of the alarm setting crown and engageable with the alarm dial wheel, and free- Wheel means interposed in the gear train to prevent application of a clockwise or forward torque to the alarm dial wheel by operation of the alarm setting crown, so that the time indicating hands cannot be disturbed by rotation of the alarm setting crown in the direction for producing such clockwise torque, and to prevent rotation of the gear train and crown of the alarm setting mechanism as a result of counter-clockwise or backward rotation of the alarm dial wheel with the hour wheel during backwards setting of the time indicating hands, whereby the crowns for setting the alarm setting hand and the time indicating hands, respectively, can both be rotated forward and backward without damage to the structure of the alarm wrist watch.

in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the free-wheel means of the alarm setting mechanism includes a spindle rotatably supporting a gear of the gear train adapted to mesh with the alarm dial wheel and mounted in a slotted bearing arranged so that, with the spindle at one end of the slotted bearing, the related gear meshes with the alarm dial wheel, and, with the spindle at the opposite end of the slotted bearing, the related gear is disengaged from the alarm dial wheel, and spring means urging the spindle to said one end of the slotted bearing but being adapted to be overcome by counter-clockwise driving rotation of either the related gear or the alarm dial wheel.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevational view of certain mechanisms included in an alarm wrist watch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the freewheeling operation of an alarm setting mechanism included in the alarm wrist watch of Figs. 1 and 2.

The drawings illustrate only those mechanisms of an alarm wrist watch 10 embodying the present invention which relate to the setting of the time indicating hands and the alarm setting hand and to the operation of the alarm, other parts of the watch movement being conventional and eliminated from the drawings in order to permit a clear understanding of the characteristic features and advantages provided in accordance with the invention.

The alarm wrist watch 10 includes the usual main plate 11 (Fig. 1) and a front plate 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) for supporting the various components of the watch movement. A minute hand 13, an hour hand 14 and an alarm setting hand 15 are disposed in front of the usual dial 16 (Fig. 2) to cooperate with the latter so that the hands 13 and 14 indicate the time, while the hand 15 serves to show the time at which the alarm is set to be released or to sound. The hands 13, 14 and 15 are mounted on the front ends of concentric, successively telescoped hollow shafts or cannons 17, 18 and 19, respectively (Fig. 2).

An alarm dial wheel 20 is fixed on the back end of the hollow shaft or cannon 19 and has a circular rib 21 on its front face that extends rotatably into a suitable opening in the front plate 12. An hour wheel 22 is secured on the cannon 18 of the hour hand 14 and is disposed in back of the alarm dial wheel 20, the hour wheel 22 being free to move axially toward and away from the alarm dial wheel. A pinion 23 is provided at the back end of the cannon 17 of the minute hand and is disposed in back of the hour wheel 22.

The mechanism for setting the time indicating hands 13 and 14 of the alarm wrist watch 10 includes a crown 24 (Fig. 1) mounted on a winding stem 25 which is both rotatable and axially displaceable between a depressed Winding position and an extended time setting position. A pinion 26 is mounted on the stem 25 for rotation with the latter, but the stem 25 is axially slidable relative to the pinion 26 and the latter is held against axial displacement so that the pinion 26 can continuously mesh with an intermediate pinion or gear 27 rotatably mounted on a pivot 28. A rocking bar 29 is also mounted on the pivot 28 and carries rotatable gears 30 and 31 which mesh with the gear 27 and are disposed at opposite sides of the rocking axis of bar 29. A spring 32 acts against the bar 29 to urge the latter to rock about its pivot in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l. Rocking of the bar 29 is controlled by a lever 33 which is suitably connected, at one end, to the stem 25 to be rocked in response to axial displacement of the latter, and which acts, at its other end, against the bar 29 so that, when the stem is extended, bar 29 is rocked in the clockwise direction in opposition to the action of the spring 32 and, when the stem 25 is depressed, the spring 32 can return bar 29 in the counter-clockwise direction to engage the gear 30 with the usual winding ratchet wheel 34 for the main or driving spring. On the other hand, when stem 25 is extended, bar 29 is rocked, in the manner indicated above, to free or disengage gear 30 from the winding ratchet-wheel 3'4 and to engage gear 31 with an intermediate gear 35 which, in turn, meshes with a gear 36 engaging the pinion 23 of the minute hand cannon 17. A conventional gear transmission (not shown) is provided between the pinion 23 and the hour wheel 22 so that the latter will be rotated at a suitable rate in response to rotation of the pinion 23;

Thus, when the crown 24 is rotated in its depressed position, as illustrated in Fig. l, the main or driving spring of the watch is wound and, when the crown 24 is rotated with the stem 25 in its axially extended position, the time indicating hands 13 and 14 are turned, either backwards or forwards, that is, either counter-clockwise or clockwise depending upon the direction of rotation of the crown, to effect setting of the time indicating hands.

It is to be understood that the watch includes a conventional movement (not shown) powered by the main spring for normally driving the minute pinion 23 and the hour wheel 22 so that the minute hand 13 and the hour hand 14 will effect complete revolutions in one hour and in twelve hours, respectively.

The alarm wrist watch 10 includes an alarm mechanism having a hammer 37 which is driven, in a conventional manner, from the main spring through a gear transmission 38 (Fig. 1).

As previously mentioned, the hour wheel 22 is axially movable toward and away from the alarm dial wheel 20, and the hour wheel is provided with one or more, preferably three, as illustrated, projections 40 extending from its forward face and adapted to engage in corresponding apertures 41 in the alarm dial wheel 20 when the hour wheel is in a predetermined rotational position relative to the alarm dial wheel. When the projections 40 are out of registry with the related apertures 41, the projections 40 space the hour wheel 22 rearwardly from the alarm dial wheel, and three angular-1y spaced apart projections and related apertures are preferred to avoid any tilting of the hour wheel when the latter is spaced rearwardly from the alarm dial wheel by the projections. Further, in order to permit entry of the projections 40 into the apertures 41 only in one rotational position of the hour wheel relative to the alarm dial wheel, the several projections and the related apertures are spaced different radial distances from the axis'of relative rotation.

In order to normally hold the hammer 37 against actuation and to release the alarm for operation only when the time indicated by the hands 13 and 14 corresponds to the time set with the hand 15, a generally radially extending double-armed lever 42 is rock-ably pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 43 (Fig. 2), and bears forwardly, at its inner end, against the hour wheel 22, while the outer end portion of the lever 42 is bent around the hammer 37 and has an end abutment 44 movable into the path of movement of a pin 45 projecting from the hammer 37. A leaf spring 46 acts against lever 42 in the direction for moving the abutment 44 out of the path of the pin 45 and for urging the inner end of'lever 42 forwardly againstv the hour wheel 22. Further, the lever 42 is arranged so that,.,when the. hour wheel .22 isspaced rearwardly from. the alarm dial Wheel 20 by the projections 40, as in Fig. 2, the abutment 44 holds the pin 45 and the associated hammer 37 against movement, and, when the projections 40 register with the apertures 41, spring 46 acting through lever 42 causes forward movement of the hour wheel against the alarm dial wheel and the corresponding rocking of lever 42 frees the abutment 44 from the pin 45 to release the alarm hammer 37 for operation in the usual manner.

In order to stop the alarm, the alarm wrist watch 10 is provided with an alarm stopping crown 47 mounted on the outer end of an axially movable stem '48 which has a circumferential groove therein receiving a coupling pin 49 at one end of an alarm stopping lever 50. The lever 50 is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 51, and, at the end thereof remote from the coupling pin 49, carries an abutment pin 52 which is movable into, and out, of range of the rocking movement of hammer 37. In the illustrated arrangement, outward axial movement of the stem 48 moves the pin 52 out of the range of rocking movement of hammer 37 to permit such rocking of the latter when the set time occurs, while inward axial movement of the stem 48 moves the pin 52 against the hammer to halt the operation or" the alarm.

In an alarm wrist watch embodying this invention,

the projections 40 of the hour wheel 22 are formed with inclined or cam-like surfaces so that the hour wheel 22 can be rotated in the clockwise direction, during clockwise setting of the time indicating hands, without entraining, or carrying along, the alarm dial wheel 20, and so that the alarm dial wheel will be entrained and rotatably carried along after the projections 40 engage in the apertures 41 during counter-clockwise setting of the time indicating hands. Conversely, the alarm dial wheel 20 can be rotated in the counter-clockwise direction relative to the hour wheel 22, during setting of the alarm, without entraining the hour wheel, whereas clockwise setting of the alarm dial wheel 20 could result in entrainment of the hour wheel upon engagement of projections 40 in apertures 41 and, thereafter, further clockwise rotation of the alarm dial wheel would disturb the setting of the time indicating hands and, possibly, even cause damage to the mechanisms by reason of the strong frictional resistance to driving of the hour wheel by the alarm dial wheel.

In order to provide for setting of the alarm dial wheel 20 and its associated alarm setting hand 15, the alarm Wrist watch 10 embodying this invention includes a third crown 53 mounted on a stem 54 which has a pinion 55 secured thereto. Interposed between the pinion S5 and the alarm dial wheel 20 are two intermediate gears 56 and 57 which are rotatably mounted on spindles 58 and 59, respectively. The spindle 58 is mounted in a support plate 60 to define a fixed axis for the related gear 56 so that the latter continuously meshes with the pinion 55, while the spindle 59 is slidable along an elongated slot 61 which is substantially equi-distant from the axis of gear 56.along the length of the slot and which extendsrgenerally in the direction toward and away from the toothed periphery of the alarm dial or setting wheel 20 so that, while the gear 57 continuously meshes with the gear 56, the gear 57 is moved into and out of meshing engagement with the alarm dial wheel 20 by movement of its spindle 59 along the slot 61. Further, a spring 62 acts, with a relatively small force, against the spindle 59 to yieldably urge the latter along the slot 61 to the end where meshing engagement is elfected between the gear 57 and alarm dial wheel 20.

It is apparent that, when crown 53 is rotated in thedirection causing counter-clockwise rotation of gear 57,

the thrust of the teeth of gear 56 against the teeth of gear 57 will be in the direction opposedto the action of the spring 62, and the latter is sufliciently weak so that the spindle59 will then move along the slot 61, to-

ward the, left, .as viewed in Fig. .1, to remove'thegear 57 to the :position represented at 57. on..Fig.,- 3, .where:

the gear 57 is out of engagement with the alarm dial wheel 20. Thus, the alarm dial or setting wheel 20 cannot be driven in the clockwise direction by rotation of the intermediate gear. On the other hand, when the crown 53 is rotated in the opposite direction to cause clockwise rotation of gear 57, the thrust of the teeth of gear 56 upon the teeth of gear 57, and the reaction of the thrust of the teeth of gear 57 against the teeth of wheel 20 cooperate with the spring 62 to maintain the spindle 59 at the end of slot 61 where the gear 57 and wheel 20 are in meshing engagement.

Accordingly, although the crown 53 is free to be turned in either direction, setting of the alarm occurs only when the crown 53 is turned in the direction for producing counter-clockwise rotation of the alarm dial or setting wheel 20. However, counter-clockwise rotation of the alarm dial wheel 20 cannot, by reason of the cam-like configuration of the projections 40, cause entrainment of the hour wheel 22. Thus, entrainment of the hour wheel 22 by the alarm dial wheel 20 is avoided during setting of the alarm.

Further, it will be seen that, when the alarm dial wheel 20 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction as a result of entrainment by the hour wheel 22 during counter-clockwise setting of the time indicating hands, the thrust of the teeth of wheel 20 against the teeth of gear 57 shifts the latter bodily along the slot 61 in the direction away from the alarm dial wheel so that counter-clockwise rotation of the latter is not transmitted to the intermediate gears 56 and 57, the pinion 55 and the alarm setting crown 53. Since the alarm dial wheel 20 is not entrained by the hour wheel 22 during clockwise setting of the time indicating hands, it is apparent that the time indicating hands can be set in either direction without causing rotation of the gears 56 and 57, the pinion 55 and the alarm setting crown 53, and, therefore, without encountering the frictional resistance that would be associated with such rotation.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the crown 24 can be rotated in either direction, when in the time setting extended position, and that the alarm setting crown 53 can also be rotated in either direction, without causing damage to the mechanisms of the alarm wrist watch 10.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that particular embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an alarm wrist watch; the combination of time indicating hands and an alarm setting hand, an hour wheel associated with said time indicating hands, means for setting the time indicating hands by effecting rotation of said hour wheel in opposed directions, means for setting said alarm setting hand including an alarm crown, a gear train rotated by said alarm crown and composed of a plurality of intermediate gears and an alarm dial wheel rotatably fixed with respect to said alarm setting hand, an alarm mechanism, said hour wheel being axially movable relative to said alarm dial wheel, said alarm dial wheel having at least one aperture therein and said hour wheel having at least one mating cam-like projection normally spacing said hour wheel from said alarm dial wheel and adapted to engage in the related aperture in one rotational position of the hour wheel relative to the alarm dial wheel and to then permit axial movement of said hour wheel toward said alarm dial wheel, alarm locking means normally preventing operation of said alarm mechanism and releasing the latter for operation in response to said axial movement of said hour wheel toward said alarm dial wheel, each cam-like projection being shaped to permit free rotation of said hour wheel and alarm dial wheel in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, respectively, while Preventing free rotation of said hour wheel and alarm dial Wheel in counter-clockwise and clockwise directions, respectively, and a freewheel mechanism interposed in said gear train to prevent application of a clockwise torque to said alarm dial wheel by operation of said alarm crown and to free said gear train from said alarm dial wheel during counterclockwise rotation of the latter with said hour wheel.

2. In an alarm wrist watch, the combination according to claim 1; wherein said free-wheel mechanism includes a spindle rotatably supporting the last of said intermediate gears of the gear train adapted to mesh with said alarm dial wheel, a slotted bearing for said spindle to permit movement of the latter between positions wherein said last gear meshes with, and is free of, respectively, said alarm dial wheel, and spring means urging said spindle along said slotted bearing toward the position wherein said last gear meshes with said alarm dial wheel and adapted to be overcome by the thrust on said last gear parallel to said slotted bearing during counter-clockwise rotation of said alarm dial wheel with said hour wheel and during rotation of said last intermediate gear in the direction for applying a clockwise torque to said alarm dial wheel by said means for setting the alarm setting hand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 492,611 Nunamaker Feb. 28, 1893 2,192,505 Raybuck Mar. 5, 1940 2,554,402 Ditisheim May 22, 1951 2,661,591 Thiebaud Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 686,214 Great Britain Ian. 21, 1953 

